Dear Member,

It has been fantastic to see good use of the Club and great turnouts over recent weeks and great to see so many members and visitors enjoying our fantastic water and club facilities. However, this communication is, I’m afraid, a bit of a dose of reality.

With the latest government announcements, we have got to make some significant changes.

Fortunately, at the moment, they do not change or curtail our on-the-water activity. The fleet captains met last night and their proposals for the winter series will go to the Directors in early October.

But onshore, and particularly in the clubhouse, there will have to be some major changes:

1. Masks must be worn inside at all times – shop, wet bar, loos, lounge, corridors – no exceptions. Why? It’s the law.
2. Attendees must register either via the QR code using the NHS app or by pen and paper. Why? It’s the law.
3. No food or drink may be consumed inside. The wet bar will only offer a take-out service. Why? Otherwise we are classified as a restaurant and have to offer a table service only and it just is not economically viable to hire the extra staff to do this. To be clear, this is no food or drink to be consumed inside, whether you buy it in the wet bar or bring it in yourself.
4. The shop will be closed as a retail outlet and just be an office. There will be a door bell for outside service, if you need any thing you will be invited in with both member and staff wearing a mask.Why? Because if it is just a retail premises the staff have to wear masks inside all the time, 7 days a week, and understandably, they don’t want to do this.

These changes are, of course, on top of the continuing requirements of:

• Maintaining social distancing (2 metres outside household / bubble)
• Not gathering in groups of more than 6
• Following the one-way system in the clubhouse
• No more than 2 people at a time in the toilets

We do notice and understand that the more familiar we become in an area social distancing, one-way systems and recording names for track and trace slip but we must stay consistent with these requirements more now than ever.

While we as members can choose whether to attend the club or not, we must remember that the club is a place of work for our staff. Please respect your fellow members, and particularly the staff, and obey the rules.

Our site is in a very public position and our observance of the rules can be seen by many. Thus far we have received very positive feed back but we have noted Rugby Borough Council has already stopped certain events happening at Draycote Water and we must protect ourselves from them stopping our activities. It would be really sad if we were placed under any restrictions.

Its is not just the Covid-19 related aspects that we need to keep on top of the normal struggles continue and we have noticed that car parking has become a problem maybe brought on by the current situation and lack of changing rooms

Can we remind all members that there are 3 permitted areas for members’ parking:

• The club’s main car park at the bottom of the hill
• The car parking areas to the west of the clubhouse
• A small marked area on the left of the dinghy park exit road

Nowhere else is permitted and particularly not on slipways or near the water.

The staff and committee don’t want to spend their time as Covid or car parking police, we must spend time on more positive aspects of running the club for the benefit of all, particularly in these difficult times.

I would urge all members to work within the restrictions that we have and actively encourage their fellow members to do the same. Please don’t leave it up to the staff and committee to have to do all the enforcement.

Best wishes,

Jeremy Atkins

Commodore